Reserve storage valve for tanks



Sept. 8, 1925.

.1. H. WEATHERFORD RESERVE STORAGE VALVE FOR TANKS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 21, 1925 INVENTOR Sept. 8, 1925. 1,552,974

J. H. WEATHERFORD RESERVE STORAGE VALVE FOR TANKS Filed Sept. 21, 192 15 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOFJ Patented Sept. 8, 1925.

PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH H. WEATHERFORD, OF MEMIBHIS, TENNESSEE.

RESERVE STORAGE Application filed September To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J osnrn H. \VEATHER- noun, a citizen of the United States, residing at Memphis, county of Shelby, and State of Tennessee, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Reserve Storage Valves for Tanks, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, such as will enable anyone skilled in the art to make and use the same.

My invention relates to valves. for fuel tanks designed to normally hold in reserve a certain amount of fuel and to he opened to allow that fuel to be used. It has especial use in connection with fuel tanks of automobiles, motorboats or other craft or vehicles in which a small quantity of fuel will permit the vehicle to reach a service station or source of fuel supply, after the main supply of fuel has been used. It relates to a device which will automatically be reset when filling the fuel tank, as after the reserve supply of fuel has been used, the driver of the automobile or other vehicle very often forgets to reset the reserve valve, with the result that the reserve supply of fuel. is used along wit-h the main supply and eventually the fuel tank is empty with no reserve supply to carry the vehicle to a service station, thus creating a situation that is worse than if no reserve had been expected.

The objects of my invention are:

First: To provide asimple and efficient reserve valve which can be applied to a tank already in use with a minimum of labor and trouble, and with a minimum of tools and which may be applied successfully to tanks having considerable variation in dimensions.

Second: To provide a valve which can be applied to existing automobiles, with a minimum of change in the construction thereof.

Third: To provide means by which the action of the .person who fills the tank will automatically re-set the valve to hold in re serve that predetermined amount of fuel for which it was constructed.

Fourth: To simplify and reduce the number and complexity of parts in such a'device.

Reference to the drawings and specification will disclose just how these objects are accomplished and from them it will be seen VALVE FOR TANKS.

21, 1923. Serial No. 663,982.

that my reserve valve may be easily installed in fuel tanks already forming part of the fuel supply system of an automobile, and that in operation it is extremely simple and free from any complex parts.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1, is a sectional perspective through the fuel opening or outlet of the. ordinary Ford automobile fuel tank, with my reserve valve in place and set to hold a reserve supply of fuel. 1

F ig 2, is a fragmentary longitudinal section through the same opening, with the reserve valve open.

Fig. 8, is an enlarged fragmentary section showing a detail of a modified form of the valve full size.

Fig. 4, is a cross section of the valve and guide stem taken on the line IV-IV of Fig. 2. v

Fig. 5, is a cross section of the upper portion of the tank and the lower portion of a seat showing one form of operating rod for opening the valve to permit the use of the fuel held in reserve, with valve open.

Fig. 6, is a plan view of the same rod and a fragmentary portion of the tank and front support for the. seat, with the seat removed. v Fig. 7, is an end elevation of the rod showing the position it occupies when the valve is closed, the seat having been raised.

Fig. 8, is a similar view showing the valve rod completely raised, the raising member of the operating rod having reached its limit of motion.

Fig. 9, is a similar view showing the head of the operating rod forced down and held by the seat.

Referring now to the drawings in which the. various parts are indicated by the same numerals in all the views 1 is a fuel tank such as the ordinary gasoline tank on an automobile having an outlet opening 2 in the bottom thereof and a filling opening 3 in the top thereof adapted to be closed by the cap 4.

The opening 2 in the particular tank selected for illustrating my invention is a substantially centrally located cylindrical opening in the upper end of what is known as a sediment bulb 5, the upper end 6 of which bulb is exteriorly threaded and screwed into a flange 7 integral with the lower part of the shell of the tank 1.

My valve comprises primarily a cylinder 8, having an interior diameter about the same or perhaps slightly greater, than that of the outlet opening 2 and an outer diameter less than that of the opening through the flange 7. This valve is adapted to seat on the upper end 6 of the sediment bulb and when so seated to form a closure. The length of the cylinder, or height, thus determines the depth of fuel in the tank held in reserve. I have found however, that the upper ends of these bulbs are ordinarily somewhat rough and while they may be dressed to a smooth seat, I prefer to use an elastic washer 9 to take up the inequalities and provide a more satisfactory seat. This washer is preferably of leather, though doubt-less other suitable materials may be used for the purpose.

This valve 8 is attached to a valve stem 10 which extends below the valve and into the outlet opening 2 and is preferably reversely bent to form a U shaped guide which preferably fits rather closely within said opening, but which is free to slide upward and downward therein. This guide bearing loosely against the interior surface of the valve and valve seat aligns them at the line of contact between them. The guide thus formed being a skeleton guide which restricts the flow of fuel in the least possible manner for an interior guide. This stem also extends above the valve and passes through an opening which has previously been made in the top of the tank 1 directly above the outlet opening 2. This valve stem 10 is preferably formed with a shoulder 11 below the point where it passes through the top of the tank and between this shoulder and the top of the tank a compression spring 12 is interposed which spring serves to force the stem 10 and the valve 8 thereon against the valve seat surrounding the opening 2.

The upper end of the valve stem is preferably bent over in the form of a hook 13 by which hook it may be raised to raise the valve 8 from the valve seat. I'prefer to form this valve stem 10 of a single length of wire, bending the lower end of the same into a U shape to form the guide section which extends downward into the opening 2 and turning the free end 41 of the short leg of the U outward at right angles and passing it through an opening in the shell of the valve 8 to attach the valve to the stem. The hook 13 on the upper end of the valve stem 10 may be bent before placing or preferably is left straight and passed through the opening in the tank shell and then bent over, thus permitting adjustment for minor variations in the tank diameter.

In Fig. 3, I show a modified form of valve 8 which is made with very heavy walls in order to permit the weight of the valve to hold the same against the valve seat. In

. such case the spring 12 can be omitted, the

weight of the valve furnishing means for holding the same against the seat.

15 is a rod used for raising the valve 8 from its seat to permit use of the reserve supply of fuel. This rod is formed with a wedge shaped end 16 which may be inserted in the hook 13 and pushed to the left to raise the valve stem 10 and the valve 8 attached thereto. This is shown in Fig. 2, the valve 8, having been raised and the fuel supply opening having been transferred from the top of the valve 8 to the original tank opening.

It will be noted in Fig. 2 that the washer 9 is raised with the valve 8 and while this is not necessary it is preferred. Reference to Fig. 4 will show that the washer 9 is of less interior diameter than the Valve 8 and that it therefore embraces the legs of the valve stem firmly enough to cause it to rise with the same.

It will be noted that the rod 15 is slidably mounted in an eye 17 which projects upward from the filler cap 4:, so that the filler cap cannot be unscrewed without first disengaging the wedge 16 from the hook 13 and thereby allowing the valve 8 to reseat. 18 is a T shaped head on the rod 15 which serves the dual purpose of preventing the rod 15 from being disengaged from the filler cap and also prevents rotation of the wedge 16 which otherwise might happen.

Referring now to Figs. 5 to 9 inclusive, I. show a modified form of operating member for raising the valve. 19 is a rod Which extends from the valve stem over to and rests on the seat support and has at one end a loop 20 extending laterally which engages with the hook 13 on the upper end of the valve stem 1.0. At the other end of the rod is a head 21, also extending laterally from the same side of the rod and adapted to rest on the angle shaped member 22 which supports the front edge of the seat 23. This rod is preferably made of a single length of spring wire, thus providing a resilient member which may be distorted as hereafter described. The valve stem10 is raised by rotating the head 21 and thereby similarly rotating the loop 20 and raising the hook 13, the valve stem 10 and valve 8. The head 21 is preferably L shaped and extends outward from the rod on the same side and approximately in the same plane as the loop 20. It will be seen that when the head 21 is rotated to substantially a vertical position the loop 20 has raised the valve stem against the pull of the spring 12 and binds against the stem 10 which limits its further motion. The head 21 is then forced over, distorting the resilient rod 19, until it is flat against the seat support 22 and if held in such position and the seat 23 lowered on it, will be held thereby. However, should the seat be raised again for any purpose such as filling the tank, the cycle of operation just recited would be reversed and the head 21 would spring back into the position shown in Fig. 8 and would then be further rotated by the downward pull of the spring actuated valve rod 10 to the position shown in Fig. 7 flat against the seat and with the loop 20 in normal or nonoperative position which position would not be effected by replacing the seat. It will be seen therefore, that the release of the valve stem 10 and the consequent resetting of the reserve valve is in both these forms of the operating rod accomplished as a condition precedent to the filling ofthe fuel tank.

To install this device in a Ford car, for example, it is first necessary to drain the gasoline tank. While this is being done, a hole. is punched in the top of the tank immediately above the outlet opening. The tank having been drained, the sediment bulb 5 is removed, the washer 9 is slipped over the U shaped loop at the bottom of the rod 10 and pushed against the valve 8. The U shaped loop is then dropped into the opening 2 in the sediment bulb. The upper end of the rod 10 is passed upward through the top of the tank and the sediment bulb 5 again screwed into: place and connected up. The upper end of the rod projecting through the too of the tank is then bent over to form a loop or hook 13. The loop 20 on the end of the rod 19 is engaged with the hook 13 and the head 21 of the rod laid on the seat support 22. The seat is replaced and the device is ready for use. lVhen thereafter the gasoline has been used down to the top of the valve 8 and the engine of the vehicle shuts off because of the lack of fuel, the front edge of the seat is raised and the head 21 is rotated a half turn about the rod 19 as an axis and while held down against the seat support 22 the front edge of the seat 23 is lowered to hold the head 21 in such rotated position. This rotation of the head 21. acting through the rod 19 will raise the valve stem 10 and raise the valve 8 from its seat permitting use of the fuel previously reserved. The car operator having noticed that he has used all of his fuel except his reserve, is therefore warned that it is necessary to refill the tank shortly and therefore has his tank refilled as soon thereafter as he reaches a filling station.

hen the filling station is reached, the seat is necessarily removed to get to the filling cap below the same. When this is done, the head 21 of the rod 19 automatically turns over assisted by the pull of the valve rod 10 and allows the valve 8 to be resea-ted or reset to again hold areserve supply of fuel. Should the tank be one which is eX- posed and not beneath the seat of the machine, the same result may be accomplished by engaging the wedge 16 on the rod 15 (Fig. 1), and sliding the wedge under the loop 13 to raise the valve 8. I11 order then to fill the tank, it is necessary to withdraw the wedge 16 before the filling cap l can be unscrewed and the same result is therefore accomplished.

It will be noted that the rotatable type of operatingrod 19 may be used in connection with the filling cap 4 to accomplish the same result. It will also be seen that numerous minor modifications can be made which will not essentially depart from the spirit of my invention and it is distinctly understood that I wish to avail myself of such modifications thereof.

In these drawings and specification I have referred to a seat and a support for the front edge thereof. It will be understood that these may be members of any form of inclosure which would similarly cover a fuel tank and that the raising of the said seat would be opening the inclosure.

While I have shown a valve stem 10 having its lower end made U shape to guide the valve against the valve seat and have shown this rod as an integral or continuous rod, it will be distinctly understood that if so desired some other means than the rod may be used for raising the valve and that the U shaped member within the valve and the valve seat may be entirely independent of such raising means and may be either attached to the valve or simply within the valve and the valve seat without being attached to either. The function of the guide is to align the interior edges of the valve seat and the hollow valve and this function is, accomplished by virtue of the U shaped guide touchin the interior of the valve and the valve seat at oppositely disposed points. It will of course be understood that this could similarly be accomplished by an interior guide touching at three or even more points as distinguished from any solid cylindrical guide or centrally disposed guide which would necessarily require additional centering members within the valve and within the valve seat. I wish it distinctly understood that while I have shown this valve as insertable from the bottom of the tank and therefore of smaller diameter than the original opening in the bottom of the tank. that it is entirely possible to cut an opening in the top of the tank and insert thcrethrough or in some cases, even through the filling opening in the tank, a valve which is of greater diameter than the opening in the bot om of the tank and one which will therefore seat around this opening.

Having now fully. described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is:-

1. The combination with areceptacle having a bottom and top, said bottom being provided with an opening, and said top being provided with an opening above said bottom opening, and a hollow valve seat in said bottom opening of a hollow valve surrounding the opening in said valve seat, a guide within said valve ext-ending below the valve into the opening in said valve seat and touching the interior of said valve and valve seat at a limited number of places, and said guide extending above the valve and through the opening in said receptacle top, means for holding said valve against said seat to reserve a predetermined quantity of fuel in said receptacle, and means for raising said valve to permit the use of said reserve fuel.

2. The combination with a receptacle having a bottom, said bottom being provided with an opening, and ahollow valve seat in said opening, of a hollow valve surrounding the opening in said valve seat, a guide within said valve and the opening in said valve seat and touching the interior of said valve and valve seat at a. limited number of places, means for holding said valve against said seat to reserve a predetermined quantity of fuel in said receptacle, and means for raising said valve to permit the use of said reserve fuel.

3. The combination with a receptacle having an outlet opening, a hollow valve seat in said opening, a hollow valve surrounding the opening in said valve seat, a guide within said valve and attached thereto extending into the opening in said valve seat and touching the interior of said valve and valve seat at a limited number of places, means for holding said valve against said seat to reserve a predetermined quantity of fuel in said receptacle, and means for raising said valve to permit the use of said reserve fuel.

4. The combination with a receptacle having an outlet opening, a hollow valve seat in said opening, a hollow valve surrounding the opening in said valve seat, a. guide within said valve extending into the opening in said valve seat and touching the interior of said valve and valve seat at a limited number of places, a spring normally holding said valve against said seat t-oreserve a predetermined quantity of fuel in said receptacle, and means for raising said valve to permit the use of said reserve fuel.

5. The combination with a fuel tank having a top and bottom, said bottom having an outlet opening and a hollow valve seat in said opening; and said top having an opening above said outlet opening, a hollow valve surrounding said opening and normally resting on said seat, a guide within said valve, and attached thereto, said guide ertending below the valve into the opening in said valve seat, and touching the interior of said valve and valve seat at a limited number of places, and extending above said valve and through said top opening, a compression spring having its lower end attached to said guide intermediate said valve and top and its upper end bearing against the under surface of said top, and means engaging said guide above said top for raising said valve from said seat.

6. The combination with a fuel tank having a top' and bottom, said top and bot-tom being each provided with an opening, an annular valve seat in said bottom opening, a hollow cylindrical valve surrounding said opening and normally resting on said seat, a guide within said valve, and attached thereto, said guide extending below said valve and; into the opening in said valve seat and touching the interior of said valve and valve seat at a limited number of places, and extending above said valve and through said top opening, means for holding said valve normally against said seat, and means engaging said guide above said top for raising said valve from said seat.

7. The combination with a receptacle having a bottom and top, said bottom and top being each provided with an opening, and an annular valve seat in said bottom opening, of a hollow cylindrical valve surrounding said opening and normally resting on said valve seat, a guide within said valve extending below the valve into the opening in said valve seat, and touching the interior of said valve and valve seat at a limited number of places, and extending above the valve and through the opening in said receptacle top, a spring normally holding said valve against said seat to reserve a predetermined quantity of fuel in said receptacle, and means for raising said valve to permit the use of said reserve fuel.

8. The combination with a receptacle hav ing a. bottom, said bottom being provided with an opening, and an annular valve seat in said opening, of a hollow cylindrical valve surrounding the opening in said valve seat, a guide within said valve extending into the opening in said valve seat and loosely touching the interior of said valve and valve seat at a limited number of places, means for normally holding said valve against said seat to reserve a predetermined quantity of fuel in said receptacle, and means for raising said valve to permit the use of said reserve fuel.

9. The combination with a receptacle having an outlet opening, an annular valve seat in said opening, a hollow valve surrounding the opening in said valve seat and normally resting on said valve seat, aguide within said valve and the opening in said valve seat and loosely touching the interior of said valve and valve seat at a limited number of places, means normally holding said valve against said seat to reserve a predetermined fuel reserve, means for manually raising said valve to permit the use of said reserve fuel, means for holding said valve in such raised position, and means for automatically resetting said valve when said tank is refilled.

10. The combination with a fuel receptacle having a bottom provided with a hollow valve seat having a fuel opening therethrough, a hollow valve adapted to seat on said valve seat, aguide within said valve and said seat opening loosely touching against the inner surfaces of said valve and valve seat at their contact line, means for normally holding said valve seated to reserve a predetermined quantity of fuel in said receptacle, and means for raising said valve to permit the use of said reserve fuel.

11. The combination with a fuel receptacle having a bottom provided with a valve seat substantially flush with the inner surface thereof, said seat having a fuel opening therethrough, a hollow valve adapted to seat on said valve seat, a guide within said valve and said seat opening, loosely touching against the inner surfaces of said valve and valve seat at their contact line, means for normally holding said valve seated to reserve a predetermined quantity of fuel in said receptacle, and means for raising said valve to permit the use of said reserve fuel.

12. The combination with a fuel tank having a top and bottom each provided with an opening, a hollow-valve seat in said bottom opening, a hollow valve surrounding said opening and normally resting on said valve seat, a valve stem within said valve, and attached thereto, said stem extending below said valve and loosely J fitting within the opening in said valve seat and extending above said valve and through said top opening, a compression spring having its lower end attached to said stem intermediate said valve and top and its upper end bearing against the under surface of said top, a hook on the upper end of said stem above said top, a loop engaging said hook, a rod integral with said loop, a head integral with said rod, whereby said rod may be turned to raise said valve, means for holding said head in such turned position, and for releasing said head to permit said valve to reseat. y

13. The combination with a receptacle pro,- vided. with an outlet opening, a hollow valve seat in said opening, a hollow valve surrounding the opening in said valve seat, a U shaped. guide Within said valveand the op'ening'in said valve seat, means holding said valve against said seat and means for raising said valve to reserve fuel.

14. The combination with a receptacle provided with an outlet opening, a hollowvalve seat in said opening, a hollow valve surpermit the use of said rounding the opening in said valve seat, a U shaped guide within said valve and the opening in said valve seat, a spring normally holding said valve against said seat to reserve a predetermined fuel reserve, and means for raising said valve to permit the use of said reserve fuel.

15. The combination with a receptacle pro vided with an outlet opening, a hollow valve seat in said opening, a hollow valve surrounding the opening in said valve seat, a valve stem attached to said valve and having a U shaped lower end within and depending below said valve into the opening in said valve seat, means holding said valve against said seat, and means for raising said valve to permit the use of said reserve fuel.

16. The combinationwith a receptacle provided with an outlet opening, a hollow valve seat in said opening, a hollow valve surrounding the opening in said valve seat, a valve stem attached to said valve and having a U shaped lower end Within and dependingbelow said valve into the opening in said valve seat,a spring normally holding said valve against said seat to reserve a predetermined fuel reserve, and means for raising saidvalve to permit the use of said reserve fuel.

17-. The combination with a fuel tank having a top and bottom, said bottom and said top being each provided with an opening, a hollow valve seat in said bottom opening, a hollowvalve surrounding the opening in said valve seat and normally resting on said seat, a valve stem attached to said valve and having a U shaped lower end Within said valve and depending below the same into the opening in said valve seat and loosely fitting therein, said stem extending above said valve and through said top opening, a compression spring having its'lower end attached to said stem intermediate said valve and top and its upper end bearing against the under surface ofsaid top, and means engaging said stem for raising said valve from said seat.

18. The combination with a fuel tank hav ing a top and bottom, said bot-tom and said top being each provided with an opening, a hollowvalve seat in said bottom opening, a hollow valve surrounding the opening in said valve seat and normally resting on said seat, a U shaped guide within said valve and the opening in said valveseat, a valve stem attached to said valve, said stem extending abovesaid valveand through said top opening, a compression spring having its lower end attached to said stem intermediate said valve andtop and its upper end bearing against the under surface of said top, and

means engaging said stem for raising said valve from said seat. r

19. In a fuel reserve, thecombination with a tank. and means normally retaining a reserve therein, of an operating member there for, a connection from said reserve means to said operating member, a handle member, a resilient connection between said operating member, and said handle member and a weight placeable for holding said handle member when moved to operative posi tion and removable for releasing said member.

20. In a fuel reserve for tanks, the combination with a tank and means norm-ally retaining a reserve in said tank, of an operating member therefor, a connection from said reserve means to said operating member, a handle member, a resilient connection betweemsaid operating member and said handle member and a seat over said tank placeable for holding said handle member when moved to operative position and removable for releasing said member.

21. The combination with a removable seat, a support for the front edge thereof, a fuel tank below said seat accessible for filling only by raising said seat, a reserve valve, means normally holding said valve closed to hold a reserve of fuel in said tank and a connecting member attached to said valve and extending through the top of said tank, of means for raising said connecting member to open said valve and permit the use of said reserve, comprising a resilient member extending from said connecting member to said seat support, a loop and an operating member projecting laterally in parallel directions from opposite ends of 'said resilient member, said loop engaging said connecting member and normally adapted to lie on said tank in non-operative position, and adapted, when said resilient member is axially rotated, to raise said connecting member against the pull of said valve closing means and thereafter to be checked in rotation, and said operating member being adapted to normally lie fiat on the said seat support, whereby when said seat is raised said head member may be manually rotated a one-half, turn and may be held in such position by lowering the seat while said head member is still manuaL ly held and such rotation will be transferred through said resilient member until said loop reaches the limit of its motion and thereafter further'rotation of said head member will torsionally distort said resilient mem opening said valve comprising a rotatable member of resilient material having one end engaging said connecting member and adapted to raise the same when said rotat able member is partially rotated, and having the opposite or operating end adapted to normally lie in non-operative position between said seat and its supporting member, and adapted to be manually rotated a onehalf turn and to be held in such position by replacing the seat'while said operating end is held in such rotated position, said rotatable member and its ends being adapted to automatically resume their non-operative position when the seat is again raised.

23. The combination with a removable seat, a support for the front thereof, a fuel tank below said seat accessible for filling only by raising said seat, a fuel reserve valve for said tank, means normally'holding said valve closed, a valve stem attached to said valve extending through the topof said tank and means for operating said valve stem normally held in non-operative position between said seat and said support therefor, said operative means being adapted to be manually operatively moved when the seat is raised and to be held in operative position by replacing the seat while said operative means is manually held and thereafter to be released automatically by raising the said seat.

24. The combination with a removable seat, a support for the front edge thereof,

a fuel tank below said seat accessible for filling only by raising said seat, a fuel reserve valve for said tank, means normally holding said valve closed and a connecting member extending from said valve through the top of said tank, of a resilient member extending from said connecting member to said seat support, integral members extending laterally from said resilient member at both ends thereof, the first of said members engaging and being limited in rotative movement by said connecting member, and the second being adapted to lie flat between said seat and seat support when in non-operative position, and adapted'to be manually turned when said seat has been raised to open said reserve valve and to be held in such position by replacing the seat while said second memher is still manually held, and thereafter to be released by raising the said seat.

25. The combination with a removable seat, a support for the front thereof, a fuel tank below said seat accessible for fillingonly by raising said seat, a fuel reserve valve for said tank, means normally holding said valve closed, a connecting member, and means for operating said valve comp-rising a resilient member extending from said connecting member to said seat support, an integral lifting member extending laterally from said resilient member. and engaging said. connecting member, and an integral operating member extending laterally in substantially the same direction at the opposite end of said resilient member and adapted, to lie flat between said seat and support therefor when said lifting member is in non operative position, and adapted to be manually turned when said seat has been raised and to be held in such position by replacing the seat while the said operating member is still manually held, and thereafter to be released by raising the said seat.

26. The combination with a fuel tank, a reserve valve, means normally holding said valve closed to hold a reserve of fuel in said tank, and a connecting member attached to said valve and extending through the top of said tank, of means for opening said valve to permit the use of said reserve, comprising a resilient member, a lifting loop projecting laterally from said resilient member and engaging said connecting member, said loop being normally adapted to lie on said tank in non-operative position and being adapted when said resilient member is axially rotated to first raise said connecting member and thereafter to be checked in rotation thereby, a head projecting laterally in the same direction as the said lifting loop at the opposite end of said resilient member and means for holding said head in a rotated position.

27. The combination with a fuel tank, a reserve valve, means normally holding said valve closed to hold a reserve of fuel in said tank, and a connecting member attached to said valve and extending through the top of said tank, of means for opening said valve to permit the use of said reserve, comprising a resilient member, a loop projecting laterally from said resilient member and enga ing said connecting member, said loop being normally adapted to lie on said tank in non-operative position and being adapted when said resilient member is axially rotated to first raise said connecting member and thereafter to be checked in rotation thereby, a head projecting laterally in the same direction as the said lifting member at the opposite end of said resilient member and means for holding said head in a rotated position.

28. A liquid reserve valve, comprising an annular valve seat having an outlet opening therethrough, a short hollow cylinder of approximately the same interior diameter as said valve opening, adapted to seat against said valve seat, a guide within said valve and valve seat loosely contacting with the interior surfaces thereof to align said valve and seat where they contact, and means for closing and opening said valve.

29. A liquid reserve valve, comprising an annular valve seat having; an outlet opening therethrough, a short hollow cylinder of approximately thesame interior diameter as said valve opening, adapted to seat against said valve seat, a skeleton guide within said valve and valve seat to align said valve and seat where they contact, and means for closing and opening said valve.

30. A liquid reserve valve, comprising an annular valve seat having an outlet opening therethrough, a short hollow cylinder of approximately the same interior diameter as said. valve opening, adapted to seat against said valve seat, and a guide within said valve and valve seat aligning them where they contact, and means for closing and opening said valve.

31. In a tank, means for retaining a reserve of liquid therein, means accessible from without said tank manually operable for releasing said reserve, and a seat above said tank placeable upon said reserve releasin g means, for holding the same in releasing position.

32. In a tank, means for maintaining a reserve of liquid, manually operable means accessible from without said tank for releasing said reserve, and a seat above said tank placeable upon said releasing means for holding the same in releasing position, said releasing means closing automatically upon said seat being raised.

A. fluid container having means therein for maintaining a reserve of liquid, torsionally resilient means manually operable for releasing said reserve, and gravity actuated means placeable upon said releasing means for holding same in releasing position.

34:. A fluid container having means therein for maintaining a reserve of fluid, torsionally resilient means manually operable for releasing said reserve, and gravity actuated means placeable upon said releasing means for holding same in releasing position, said gravity actuated means being movable to permit automatic resetting of said reserve means.

35. A fluid container having a discharge outlet, a valve normally controlling said outlet, a member manually rota-table on its longitudinal axis to open said valve, and gravity actuated means placeable upon said member to hold said valve open.

36. A fluid container having a discharge outlet, a valve normally controlling said outlet, a member manually rotatable on its longitudinal axis against torsional resistance to open said valve, and gravity actuated means placeable upon said member to hold said valve open, said gravity actuated means bemovable to release said member, and thereby permit automatic reclosing of said valve.

A fluid container having means therein for maintaining a reserve of liquid, means manually operable for releasing said reserve, and a seat above said container effective upon said releasing means for holding same in releasing position.

38. A fluid container having means therein for maintaining a reserve of fluid, means manually operable for releasing said reserve aud a seat above said container effective upon said releasing means for holding same in releasing position, said seat being movable to permit automatic resetting of said reserve means.

n9. A fluid container having a discharge outlet, a valve normally controlling said outlet, a member manually rotatable on its longitudinal axis to open said valve, and a seat- JOSEPH H. WEATHERFORD. 

